Hashim P K, Shaji Ashwin T, Amrutha Ammathnadu S, Ahmad Shifa
Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University Kita20, Nishi 10, Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 001-0020 Japan
Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 060-0810 Japan.
RSC Med Chem. 2025 Mar 11. doi: 10.1039/d4md01005a.
Photomedicine has evolved from basic phototherapy to a broad range of light-based technologies to achieve precise and minimally invasive therapeutic outcomes. Recent advances in light sources, photochemical reactions, and photoswitches have facilitated the development of light-activated methodologies for modulating biological processes. This review discusses the history of light therapy that leads to the emergence of a new field known as photopharmacology, mode of actions in photopharmacology such as photodynamic, photo-uncaging and photoswitchable methods, a few representative examples in photopharmacology, and a brief overview of its associated challenges. The current developments in photopharmacology hold great promise for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, with enhanced therapeutic precision, and minimal side effects. We foresee further expansion of photomedicine for novel approaches in precision medicine and healthcare, and unprecedented treatment methods.
光医学已从基础光疗发展到一系列基于光的技术，以实现精确且微创的治疗效果。光源、光化学反应和光开关方面的最新进展推动了用于调节生物过程的光激活方法的发展。本综述讨论了导致光药理学这一新领域出现的光疗历史、光药理学中的作用方式，如光动力、光解笼和光开关方法、光药理学中的一些代表性实例，以及对其相关挑战的简要概述。光药理学的当前发展为治疗癌症等疾病带来了巨大希望，具有更高的治疗精度和最小的副作用。我们预见光医学将进一步扩展，用于精准医学和医疗保健中的新方法以及前所未有的治疗手段。
